Letters From War
by Elizabeth Springfield
Summary: Brothers, It's with little time I can send this to you. I love you two so, so much. I can't run any longer… I can hear the voices of the soldiers. Ishval is on fire. I'm sorry… I'm so sorry. With my full heart, I part with you. If I can, I'll write. If not, I'll hold you dear in my heart until the grave. I love you. -Ana
1. Chapter 1

**This is just a little tidbit I found on my computer. I may continue it if enough people ask, but otherwise it's probably bound to go nowhere. Tell me how you like it :D**

* * *

The ice in Roy Mustang's drink tinkled against the glass as he raised the cool liquid to his lips.

"I've been looking into the Elrics, like you said." Maes Hughes swirled the amber fluid around. "From what I can tell, the boys had an older sister that went AWOL around 1907 to 1908."

Mustang peered at his friend. "What do you know about her?"

"Not much. Full name: Anabelle Clarisse Elric. Date of birth: Sometime in December of 1894. If she's alive, she's twenty. I snooped through the mail records, and it looks like she lost contact with her brothers at the time she went AWOL. Makes sense…" He scratched his head sheepishly. "But the last location she sent from was an Amestrian post stationed near Ishval."

"Do you think she was stupid enough to try to fight?" Mustang inquired unenthusiastically.

"Judging based off of Al and Ed's personalities, it wouldn't surprise me." Hughes sighed and sipped the burning liquor.

"Why don't they ever talk about her, then?" Mustang asked.

"Probably because they're secluded. They only trust each other. It's not like they tell us much anyways, Roy." Hughes shrugged his shoulders, his glasses flashing in the dull light of the bar.

"I guess you're right…" Mustang finished the rest of his drink. "But I don't see why they wouldn't try to find her."

"Maybe they think she's dead." He slid a picture across the uneven wood. "Perhaps that's one of the reasons they want the Philosophers Stone.

Mustang glanced down at it, automatically assuming it would be of Elicia. Instead, it was an old photograph of the Elric family of three.

Edward and Alphonse held both of an older girl's hands. It appeared that she was around twelve, which made the picture eight years old. The boys beamed up at her, their eyes searching for approval. Anabelle smiled at the camera with melancholy eyes.

"It makes me wonder what she was doing in Ishval." Hughes murmured, holding his chin on his fist. "She looks so gentle-hearted…"

"She probably died, then." The Colonel didn't bother showing any sympathy.

"Don't say that," Hughes scowled. A playful smirk spread across his face. "You know, it might be a good idea if you tried to track her down."

"You're the investigator." The Flame Alchemist countered. "Isn't tracking people down _your _job? I don't have time for that."

Hughes stood, rolling his shoulders. "I have to be getting going now. I'm going to start looking into her… I hope you'll do the same." He turned his back to his friend and began to walk, pushing his hands into his pockets. "Maybe you'll find your Gracia."

Mustang scoffed, staring at his empty glass. "Everything is about finding a wife to you, isn't it?"

Maes' footsteps quickly ran back. "And then you'll have a baby like Elicia!" To himself he continued. "She won't be as cute, but she'll be my little God Daughter! Then Elicia will have a new friend and they'll play together all the time and have cute little nic—."

"Calm down, Maes. Chances are that the girl is dead." Mustang cut him off. "I'll talk to Edward about it tomorrow, but don't get your hopes up."

Hughes wiggled and pranced out of the hazy bar.

* * *

The fiery Edward Elric plopped down onto the couch in front of Mustang's desk. "What do you want?" He asked, closing his golden eyes in irritation.

Mustang crossed his arms and leaned forward on his desk. "Do you have any older siblings, Fullmetal?"

The blond looked at him sharply. "Why do you care?"

"Just answer the question." Mustang purred impatiently.

"Yeah." Edward shifted. "Her name was Anabelle."

"Was?"

"She died in the Ishvalan Civil War." Edward glared down at his lap. "Trying to play doctor. She was a damn idiot."

Riza Hawkeye looked up from her paperwork. "With all due respect, it's not good to demean the dead."

Edward scowled. "Whatever. Is that all you wanted?"

"Not exactly." Mustang smirked. "How old was your sister when she died?"

"Fourteen." Edward growled.

"So what was she doing in Ishval?" Mustang goaded him onward.

"Being an idiot. Did you miss what I said before?" Edward's eyebrow twitched.

"Why do you say that?" Mustang was unfazed by Edward's temper. He fiddled with a pen.

Edward's harsh expression softened. "She was always trying to help everyone with everything."

The door opened and Alphonse followed Havoc in.

"Al…" Edward patted the couch. "We're talking about Anabelle."

"Sister?" Al clarified.

"Yep." Edward sighed. "I was just talking about how she was always trying to help."

Al chuckled. "Remember that time when someone tried to rob her?"

Edward grinned nostalgically. "Yeah. She sat on him and tried to force him into taking a job with her, and then she tried to make him eat with her because she thought he must be hungry because he was stealing money."

Al shook his head. "She was so crazy."

Mustang stopped their reverie. "Why do you assume she's dead?"

"Because she's not the type to dally on not returning home." Edward replied. "Her letters…" He patted his red jacket until he found the bundle of letters.

"You carry those with you?" Al inquired.

Edward ignored the question and tossed the envelopes onto Mustang's desk. "I don't need them anymore." He looked off to the side nonchalantly. "It's been six years since she died."

The Colonel accepted them and set them to the side. "You're free to go then, I suppose." _Maes should be satisfied with these. _

After the brothers took their leave, Mustang took his. Walking back to his room, he shuffled through the envelopes to order them chronologically. With ginger hands, he unfolded the first aged paper and lay down on his bed.

_To my darling brothers,_

_I hope Ms. Curtis is treating you well… or rather you're treating her well. The house is empty without you two's lively spirits. I still play the piano, since you asked. I play your songs every night, brothers. It falls upon empty beds, though._

_Tomorrow I'm going to view the world. I miss you dearly, but I want to travel. Until you're done with training, I'll be out and about. I'm going with Winry's parents to Ishval. Since they're doctors and all, I thought it would be a good change of scenery. I'm not much of a doctor, but I can definitely be a nurse. _

_I finally got those tattoos on my arms like I've been speaking about. They're on the inside of my wrist, and it makes transmutations a lot easier. There's one for water, and one for ice. Maybe I'll get more later on…who knows? Time is all I've got. _

_That's all I have to say this time around. How's training going? Please be safe, and for God's sake, Edward, drink your milk! Alphonse, I permit you to trap him in a box until he drinks it!_

_With all my love, _

_Your sister Ana_

Colonel Mustang set the letter down and changed into his nightwear. "So she's a water alchemist." He covered himself with a blanket and rolled onto his side, blowing out the candlelight by which he read. "Interesting."


	2. Chapter 2

**Tell me what you think. I'm not sure _where_ I'm going, but I decided I'm going. Hopefully you enjoy. Feel free to give me feedback, because I really to like to hear what you guys are thinking. Unless it's mean without cause. Mean with cause is fine, though. So, read and review~  
**

* * *

Roy yawned and rolled from his bed to sit up. The blue-violet fingers of sunrise crept into his musty room with an intrusive cold light. He rolled his shoulders and let his eyes fall upon the next envelope.

_10/12/1907_

_My brothers,_

_ Please stop trying to yell at me through a letter, Ed… I just wanted to know how training was going. If it's so important that you don't tell me, I won't ask. _

_ I thought I'd send a picture for you. How have you been? I'm busy in Ishval with teaching the Ishvalans that have been injured how to cope with the things they're feeling. I'm also good with physical therapy._

_Speaking of health, I hope you're drinking your milk, little Ed. YOU'RE NEVER GOING TO GROW, AND WHEN YOU'RE FOUR FEET TALL YOU BETTER NOT COME RUNNING TO ME! I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU SAY! CALCIUM IS THE SOURCE OF BONE GROWTH! NO CALCIUM = NO BONE GROWTH = YOU'RE SHORT FOREVER._

_Darling Al, I grant you the responsibility of photography. I would love to have pictures of you two to show my friends._

_ Take care, you two. Try not to do anything unusually stupid. It's hard for me to write anymore, now that the Amestrians are being unusually careful. Something is coming…I feel like it's the silence before the storm. Whatever is about to happen is going to decide the fate of the war. I can feel it. Be careful, boys._

_ With all my heart,_

_ Ana_

Roy ran his fingers through his hectic hair and took the worn picture from its ragged covering and flipped it over in his hands. Anabelle held a young Ishvalan girl and dried her tears as she smiled at the camera half-heartedly.

It was hard to believe she was only Fullmetal's age when the picture was taken. She looked strong and comfortable in the environment, smoke rising in a plume behind her mature form. A familiar tightness intruded on his pants and he stood, rubbing his head sheepishly. "Of course."

* * *

He walked with a quirky bounce in his step as he made his way down the street, pleasure emanating from him. Thank _God _it was his day off.

The cool breeze countered the comfortably warm sun, perfectly adequate as he approached the flower shop. He knew the woman who worked there, a bright-eyed blonde with a wonderful figure.

As if on cue, she burst through the door frantically. "Help!" She cried. Her panicked eyes locked onto him. "Colonel! Please!" She darted forth and snatched his hand, dragging him into the room.

A bloodied young woman in a prison uniform curled into herself on the ground, trembling against the stone floor. Her eyes darted around blindly as she tried to place herself. Crimson pooled around her in a puddle as she tried to stand.

Gina let out a long wail and collapsed on Roy. "There was a flash, and this eye! An eye! On my floor! And then, and then…" She sniffed loudly. "These arms! They reached out of the ground and then this girl appeared!"

The military officer looked closer at the girl. Her hair was blackened with her dark blood, and her face was strikingly pale compared to the mortal color.

"Towels," he barked, crouching beside the woman. She flinched violently and tried to shy away from his touch as he forced her to sit up against the wall.

Gina disappeared obediently deep into the bowels of her shop. Mustang examined her body for injuries, tearing the zipper down her uniform and letting it drop around her torso. Blood poured from the stumps of her shoulders that remained, covering her exposed body in a slick "What's your name?" He asked, stripping out of his shirt and using it to put on the wound.

She shrank away from him, horror aging her face.

He glanced up at her and continued his work. Gina reappeared with an armful of towels and sheets. "Will this be okay, Colonel?"

He accepted them without looking at her, staring into the girl's dark green eyes. "I'm Colonel Roy Mustang. I'm going to call the pol—."

The girl's pupils shrank in fear. "No." She rasped, her voice raw from what must have been screaming. "Please, don't."

"I don't know who you are, but you're obviously a priso—."

"No," her chest heaved. "Please don't. They make me do horrible things," she let out a low wail. "_Please_."

"How did you get here?" He asked.

"That woman…That _thing_…She made me kill…She forced me to do a human transmutation." She closed her eyes tightly, trying to erase the memory. "My arm…My…arms…the toll was supposed to be to my arm, but then I was bargained to be transported to safety."

She let out a heaving sob. "What have I done? _What have I done_?"

He tightly wound the towels around her top half and picked her up. "My car is just outside. I'm going to take you to headquarters."

She gave a gasping sob and shook her head. "Please don't make me, please."

He shook his head. "I'm taking you to my apartment. You have a lot of explaining to do." He adjusted her in his arms and kicked through the door.

Gina trailed after him. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Forget everything you saw." He ordered, laying the girl in the backseat of his car. "For the last time, _what is your name_?"

She hiccuped pathetically from her new bed and tried to calm the spasms of her sorrow. "Anabelle." She focused herself solely on the towels until she realized she was forgetting something. "Elric. I'm Anabelle Elric."


End file.
